The Short Version
Chapter 1
I was supposed to be a mechanical engineer.
Five years at MIPT in Moscow studying applied mechanics and the theory of elasticity. Then a PhD at NC State on digital modeling of composite materials — never finished, because somewhere between simulating textile composites and writing my first compiler, the compiler won.
Chapter 2
Founded Tizbi in 1998 to keep writing code.
Bootstrapped a software firm with my co-founder Jim. 28 years later it's a global team. Funny thing — I never stopped writing code myself. Best way I know to lead engineers is to ship alongside them.
Chapter 3
Then 2025 happened.
Claude Code landed. I built an operating layer around it — memory, skills, prompts, agents. Now I ship at a pace that used to need a whole team. The fun isn't slowing. If anything, I'm building more confidently than at any point in 30 years.